Saturday, February 4, 2012

The Big Fix (1978) - Film Locations Part Two

This is my second entry on the filming locations for the Richard Dreyfuss detective film, The Big Fix (1978). To read part one click here. In this second post we get to see more of downtown Los Angeles as well as a few scenes filmed in Santa Monica, Venice, East Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.

As Dreyfuss continues his investigation, he follows a lead that takes him to a neighborhood just east of downtown Los Angeles in the Boyle Heights area. In the scene below, Dreyfuss parks his Volkswagen on Glenn Avenue with the intersection of South Grande Vista Avenue just behind him.

Dreyfuss parked on Glenn Ave at S. Grande Vista Ave

Looking up Glenn Ave toward S. Grande Vista Ave

In the next comparison, Dreyfuss gets out of his car and we get a view looking east down Glenn Avenue. Other than some new trees, the area looks mostly the same. Many of the apartment buildings seen in the film have murals painted on them and even thirty years later many of the murals are still there.

Dreyfuss looking down Glenn Ave near S. Grande Vista Ave.

Looking down Glenn Ave near S. Grande Vista Ave.

Dreyfuss follows a woman through East Los Angeles who runs into the El Mercado, "the market," located at 3425 East First Street, Los Angeles to try and get away. The El Mercado is a large complex made up of a few restaurants, a bakery, and a swap meet/market area.

El Mercado, 3425 E. 1st Street, Los Angeles

El Mercado as it appears today.

In the next scene Dreyfuss pays a visit to Oscar Procari, Sr. (Fritz Weaver) to see if he can dig up more information for his case. Dreyfuss parks across the street from the parking garage entrance at 524 S. Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles (near the Los Angeles Library). Dreyfuss goes into what looks like in the film to be a private athletic club.

The building Dreyfuss visits next to the parking

garage at 524 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles.

The building on Flower Street as it appears today.

At night, Dreyfuss meets up with John Lithgow at the Triforium sculpture located at Temple Street and Main Street in downtown Los Angeles. The sculpture was unveiled in 1975, just three years prior to this film.

Dreyfuss and Lithgow in front of the Triforium sculpture.

The Triforium sculpture at Temple and Main Streets

as it appears now.

The District Court building and the Los Angeles City Hall building are landmarks that can also be seen at this intersection as seen in the aerial view below.

An aerial view of the Triforium sculpture.

In a scene when Dreyfuss is driving around in his Volkswagen he goes past the Dolores Restaurant that was once located on the northeast corner of Le Doux Road and Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The building has been razed and replaced by a modern office building which includes a Wells Fargo bank. Does anyone have any memories of eating at this Dolores locations?

Dolores Restaurant at Le Doux Rd and Wilshire Blvd

The corner of Le Doux Rd & Wilshire Blvd now with

an office building where Dolores Restaurant once stood.

Below, Dreyfuss is back in downtown Los Angeles, this time with his kids and they are running up the stairs to the Pico Boulevard entrance of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Dreyfuss on the stairs of the Los Angeles Convention Center

on Pico Boulevard.

Looking down Pico Blvd towards the Harbor Fwy.

The LA Convention Center stairs are on the right.

The Pico Blvd entrance to the LA Convention Center.

The Pico Blvd entrance as it appears today.

The next few scenes all take place in the beach community of Venice. Below, Dreyfuss is running towards his car which is parked across the street from a shop at 1227 Abbot Kinney Blvd.

Dreyfuss running to his car on Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice.

Looking down Abbot Kinney Blvd toward Aragon Court

1227 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, Ca.

The building at 1227 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice

as it appears today.

A gang of men run down Alhambra Court towards

Aragon Court in Venice.

Looking down Alhambra Court towards

Aragon Court in Venice as it looks today.

In the scene below, a squad of police cars race down Wright Street near downtown Los Angeles.

1587 Wright Street, Los Angeles

1587 Wright Street, Los Angeles

Dreyfuss takes his kids with him while he trails a lady through Santa Monica and Venice.

The parking lot at the Santa Monica Pier as seen in the film.

The Santa Monica pier parking lot as it appears today.

Looking at the Santa Monica pier from the parking lot.

A view of the Santa Monica pier as it appears now.

In the next scene, Dreyfuss and his boys follow a woman down the steps alongside the Santa Monica pier. The restaurant in front of them selling hot dogs is now the Carousel Cafe located at 1601 Ocean Front Walk.

Dreyfuss and boys heading towards 1601 Ocean Front Walk.

1601 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, Ca

Dreyfuss and his boys continue down Ocean Front Walk from Santa Monica and take it all the way down to next door Venice, ending at the Israel Levin Senior Adult Center at 201 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, Ca. The Israel Levin Senior Adult Center is still there on Ocean Front Walk, but the building has had a dramatic makeover. The windows have been covered, the front entrance has changed, and the whole building is now covered in a giant mural.

Israel Levin Senior Adult Center as seen in the film.

201 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, Ca

The Senior Center as it appears today.

The next comparisons are just a couple blocks down Ocean Front Walk from the Senior Center in Venice. What was the Land's End Restaurant in the film is now the Candle Cafe & Grill located at 325 Ocean Front Walk.

Dreyfuss standing at 401 Ocean Front Walk, Venice.

Looking at 401 Ocean Front Walk as it appears today.

Dreyfuss and boys at the Land's End Restaurant.

The Land's End Restaurant is now the

Candle Cafe & Grill.

The end of the film all takes place back in downtown Los Angeles near the Convention Center. This area has been completely redeveloped since the time of the film. Many of the buildings have been razed to make room for an expansion of the Convention Center and other new buildings. Dreyfuss is driving down the 110 Freeway and he spots the man he is looking for on the rooftop of a building near the Convention Center building.

Dreyfuss drives on the freeway near the LA Convention Center.

An aerial view of the freeway and Convention Center.

Dreyfuss finds his suspect on the rooftop. The tall building in the background is the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall located at 1816 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles.

1 comment:

In 1961 when I was a kid, I sold newspapers at Wilshire and La Cienega and always went to Dolores for Slim Jim fries (especially in winter, to keep me warm). When the Wilshire location closed, I went to the Dolores on Santa Monica Blvd. location for Jumbo Jim hamburgers. About 2 years ago (2012), it closed and became a Persian restaurant. I miss it.